The Birth of Goten
by Applescruffs
Summary: After the Cell Games, Chi Chi has do deal with the death of her husband and her pregnancy. How can she cope with another child without Goku? A combo of drama, humor, and romance (GCC with a bit of BV). COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1: Realization

**Disclaimer**: The usual. Don't own it, so don't sue me.

**Author's note**: This story is going to end up being a few chapters long, so bear with me. I'm writing about one chapter a day right now. Please R&R!

Shivering and half-asleep, Chi Chi glanced at the clock beside the bed. 4:47; she could sleep for another 45 minutes. But why was it so cold? She turned over and reached out blindly for the solid warmth that was her husband. Summer and winter, night and day, that man gave off an extraordinary amount of body heat. But this night, his side of the bed was cold. Chi Chi's eyes flew open as she realized he wasn't there. Of course he wasn't: Goku was dead. It had been nearly a week, and she still expected to wake up beside him. But never again. He was dead and this time he was never coming back.

A wave of nausea overpowered her and she ran to the bathroom. Since Goku's death, she'd started vomitting regularly and only got about four hours of sleep a night. If grief couldn't kill you, it could certainly make you sick, she told herself. After rinsing out her mouth, Chi Chi went to the kitchen, determined to make a big, delicious breakfast for Gohan. There was no way she'd be able to sleep now, anyway. And if he was going to be a scholar, he needed to be well-fed. She set to work as quietly as possible, trying not to wake her sleeping son. It wouldn't be easy, she thought, raising him alone. A boy needs a father, and he no longer had one. As Goku's best friend, Krillin had volunteered to do anything he could to help them out. But, as much as she hated to admit it, it would probably be Piccolo that Gohan would look to for guidance.

Just then, her queasiness returned with a vengeance, so she quickly made her way to the bathroom for the second time in 30 minutes. When she got back to her cooking, Gohan emerged from his bedroom, rubbing his eyes.

"'Morning, Mom," he yawned. "Why are you up so early?"

"Oh, sweetie, did I wake you? I'm sorry. Go on back to sleep, and I'll come get you when breakfast is ready." Chi Chi felt guilty for waking her tired little boy; this was all so difficult for him. So no matter how hard it was, she was going to keep things as normal as possible, for his sake. "You need your rest, young man."

"No, it's OK, I'm already up." He took a seat at the kitchen table. "You still don't feel well?"

"Oh, I'm fine! Just a little bug, it'll pass in no time," she lied. She knew full well what it was, but there was no way she'd admit to it, not now. _Later_, she thought, _I'll tell him later._

Gohan was a shrewd boy, and sensed that her answer wasn't true. But he didn't want to cause her any more aggravation, so he let it slide. It was painful to watch her suffer like this, trying to pretend everything was OK when it clearly wasn't. He rose from the table and approached his mother.

"It's OK to be sad, Mom," he said, hugging her. "You don't have to hide it from me. I'm old enough to handle it."

Chi Chi was touched by his little speech, and quite impressed by his maturity.

"Thank you, sweetie. I'll remember that." She had no intention of burdening him with her problems, but she found his words comforting. "Now be a good boy and eat your breakfast."

As they drove to school, they had the same trite discussion they had every morning.

"You know," Gohan began, "I could just _fly_ to school."

"You could," Chi Chi replied, "But I don't like the idea of you going all that way alone. Who knows what kind of hoodlums you could run into!"

"What hoodlums? It's perfectly safe! Besides, I can take care of myself."

"I can't see any reason why I should put you into a situation where you'd need to."

"But it would be easier for you!"

"Being a mother isn't about doing what's easy, Gohan honey, it's about doing what's right."

And with that, the conversation was effectively ended. How could he argue with that logic? Before long, their car pulled up in front of the school.

"Bye, Mom!" Gohan said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Bye, sweetie! Mommy loves you! Have a good day! Listen to your teachers! And don't talk to any grown-ups you don't know!"

"Yeah, OK. Bye!" he replied, closing the door and dashing to the building. Chi Chi fondly watched him go, thinking how lucky she was to have a son like him. With that sentiment strengthening her resolve, she headed to her doctor's appointment. She had scheduled it weeks earlier, unaware of the tragedy that would befall her family in the meantime.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Son! Your results came back positive!"

Chi Chi sat still, stonefaced, staring at her hands. It wasn't like it came as a surprise. She knew. She knew weeks ago, when Goku was still alive. But she'd kept it to herself, deciding to wait until the danger had passed and they could be properly excited about it. And now she couldn't really be excited, because she couldn't tell Goku. He would have been so happy…

Finally, her stoic mask crumbled as she broke down into anguished sobs. The doctor stared at her, completely nonplussed. Normally, women were happy about being pregnant, but this one seemed… upset, to say the least. He patted her shoulder in what he meant to be a comforting gesture.

"I don't think you should be driving, Mrs. Son," he said softly. "Maybe I should call Mr. Son to-" He was interrupted by Chi Chi's wailing, which grew louder and more plaintive at the mention of her husband. She shook her head, unable to speak. "Uhhh, would you like to call someone else instead?" She nodded. The doctor handed her the phone. Not knowing what else to do, she called Bulma.

"Hi, this is Bulma!" her friend answered cheerfully. Chi Chi burst into tears again. "Chi Chi? Is that you?" Bulma knew that sobbing anywhere. "What's the matter? Is it Gohan?"

"Uh-uh," Chi Chi managed to choke out. "Can you- pick- me up- at the doctor?" she asked between sobs.

"The doctor?" Bulma swore under her breath. "You bet. Give me five minutes. Hang on, everything's going to be OK."

Chi Chi whispered her thanks and hung up the phone. Moments later, Bulma burst through the door.

"What's going on? Are you all right?" she asked breathlessly. A renewed flood of tears greeted her.

"I'm pregant!" Chi Chi wailed miserably. To the doctor's surprise, Bulma winced.

"Oh, man. I'm so sorry. That's tough." The doctor was completely bewildered. "Let's take you back to Capsule Corp. We'll get you some tea, OK?"

"I, uh… offered to call her husband," the doctor said helplessly as the two women moved toward the door. Bulma scoffed at him.

"No wonder she's hysterical. He's dead. If you get a hold of him, be sure to let us know," she said dryly.


	2. Chapter 2: The Importance of Friendship

**Disclaimer**: Don't own DBZ, yadda yadda yadda.

**A/N**: Thanks for the review! And FYI, sentences in italics mean it's thought, not spoken. This chapter is a bit more light-hearted than the first one.

They sat in silence, neither one knowing what to say. Bulma wanted to be comforting, but the only things she could think of would probably just make things worse. In the end, it was Chi Chi who broke the ice.

"I just… don't know how I can do this alone… without him…"

"Who said anything about doing it alone?" Bulma said, hoping to keep the subject off Goku. "We'll all help! Gohan's a great kid, I know you can count on him. And Krillin's already volunteered to help you out! And of course _I'll_ do whatever I can. I really owe you for all your help with Trunks." She flashed a brilliant smile at the baby in her arms. "Oh, I bet we could get Yamcha to pitch in! And Launch would -" Bulma stopped in mid-sentence as she had a sudden vision of Launch pulling out a gun and shooting up the crib where the baby was crying. "Uh, maybe not Launch. But the rest of us are definitely there for you!"

Chi Chi gave her a weak smile and opened her mouth to speak. Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the hall.

"WOMAN! WHERE'S MY LUNCH!"

Bulma rolled her eyes as Vegeta stormed loudly toward the kitchen. "Oh, great. Prince Charming has decided to grace us with his presence." She turned to face him as he entered the room.

"The meal is supposed to be ready at noon, and it is now nearly a quarter past! Were you harpies so busy gossiping that you didn't notice the time?"

Future Trunks, who had returned from his timeline for a little visit, stood in the doorway. "Father, please! Don't make a scene!"

Bulma raised her hand, signalling him not to bother. "For your information, _your highness_, we weren't gossiping. Chi Chi is in the middle of a crisis, which would have been obvious to you if you had half a brain!"

Vegeta scowled at her, but looked completely indifferent to Chi Chi's distress. Trunks, on the other hand, seemed very concerned.

"What's the matter?" he asked anxiously. "Is Gohan all right?" The lump in her throat rendered her speechless, so she simply nodded.

"Is it OK if I tell them?" Bulma asked gently. She received another nod. Turning to the men, she simply stated, "Chi Chi's pregnant." The silence that followed weighed heavily on the women as their companions struggled mentally with the implications.

"Pregnant?" Trunks finally muttered. "Oh, man. After the… and now… that's just… oh, wow."

Vegeta wasn't nearly as sensitive. "Terrific," he sneered. "More third-class Saiyan spawn. If Kakarott -"

"HIS NAME IS GOKU!" Chi Chi screeched, lapsing into hysteria once more. The noise woke baby Trunks, who then added his voice to the din. Bulma tossed her husband a murderous glare.

"I can't _believe_ you're such a jerk!" she cried. "Are you happy now? Huh? You must be _real_ proud of yourself! Get out of my kitchen _now_, you stupid monkey!"

And Vegeta did leave, but not before adding insult to injury. "I'll go, but only to get away from this wretched noise. Human women must be the most annoying creatures in the galaxy."

Growling, Bulma grabbed an apple off the table and chucked it at his head. He avoided it easily and left with a smirk on his face. She looked back to her baby, who was still crying. Chi Chi, however, was currently the bigger problem.

"Trunks?" She turned to the young man standing helplessly nearby. "Take care of Trunks for a little while, will you? Thanks." She shoved the baby into his arms and pushed him toward the door.

"But Mother, I -"

"Just play with him or something!" she snapped, shoving them into the hall and closing the door.

Now that the Trunkses were taken care of, Bulma turned back to her distraught friend. She wanted to fix this so badly, but there was nothing she could do. When she was pregnant with Trunks, Chi Chi had been a huge help: coming over to cook dinner, do laundry, or listen to her complain about Vegeta or how uncomfortable she was. They'd grown close during that time, and now that Chi Chi needed her, what kind of friend would she be? _The supportive kind,_ she decided, _starting right now_. _Good thing I'm a genius!_

All right, Chi Chi, that's enough of that!" Bulma cried. A surprised, tear-stained face turned to her. "This is no way to behave. It's not good for the baby, it's not good for Gohan, and it's not good for you! If you're going to act like this, of course you can't do it. But this isn't you. This is pathetic. _You_ are strong. A fighter. You kick the snot out of anything that gets in your way! So are you going to mope around like a wimp, or are you going to be the Chi Chi that Goku married?"

Although her husband's name stung like a slap in the face, Chi Chi rose from the table and said in a quiet but determined voice, "I'm going to be fine. I'm strong enough to handle this on my own."

"Hey! Not on your own," Bulma interjected. "Don't be afraid to ask your friends for help." _I am so brilliant!_

"Right. Thank you, Bulma, I really appreciate this." They shared a quick hug before driving back to the doctor's office for Chi Chi's car.

As soon as he climbed into the car after school, Gohan instinctively knew something was up. His mother looked as though she'd been crying, but she was smiling and talking incessantly. That usually meant she was trying to hide something from him. _Must be something important,_ he thought as she burst into unnatural laughter.

"OK, what's going on?" he asked, believing that the blunt approach was best at the moment. The laughter stopped abruptly, and Chi Chi sighed. _Maybe he really_ is _too smart for his own good,_ she thought. _It's practically impossible to keep a secret from him._ But she knew she'd have to tell him sometime, so it might as well be now.

"Gohan, honey," she began, unsure of how he'd react to the news. "I know this is going to make things a little bit harder for us, but it will all turn out fine."

"Please, Mom, just tell me," he replied, bracing himself. He could tell that, whatever it was, it was BIG.

"Well, sweetie, I'm… I'm going to have another baby," Chi Chi said finally, watching her son out of the corner of her eye. Gohan kept looking straight ahead, blinking rapidly as he tried to wrap his mind around the concept. At length, he turned to his mother.

"A baby? Really?" he asked softly. She nodded, anxious to know what her son was thinking. "THIS IS _SO_ COOL! YOU'RE HAVING A BABY!" he burst out. "When we get home, can I call Krillin and tell him?

Chi Chi was in shock. Well, sure, I don't see why not…"

"YES! This is awesome! I'm gonna be a big brother!"

_I didn't think he'd be so excited,_ mused Chi Chi. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all… _

**A/N**: Chapter 3 is coming soon. I'm halfway done, and it has a bit more humor than this one. Please R&R! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3: Family Dynamics

**Disclaimer**: If I owned DBZ, I wouldn't be writing fanfics, now would I?

**A/N**: This chapter is a bit sillier than the first two- and has very little to do with Goten's birth. But bear with me, I will get to the point… sooner or later. And uh, I'm embarrassed to admit that I forgot about the whole home-schooling thing. Gomen! So let's pretend they decided to take a break for a while, OK? Thanks for the reviews!

"Krillin! You'll never guess what my mom just told me!"

"Um, no sparring until you've read War and Peace?" the former monk suggested.

"NO! You'll never guess, so I'll just tell you." Gohan allowed for a dramatic pause before continuing. "She's having a _baby_! Isn't that- Krillin?" He heard the phone clatter to the floor on the other end of the line, and then someone scrambling to pick it up.

"SHE'S WHAT!" Krillin yelled into the phone. "No way!"

In the background, Gohan could hear Master Roshi and Oolong shouting, too.

"What's all the noise about? What's goin' on?" Oolong demanded.

"Who's 'she,' and what's she doing?" asked Roshi.

"Tell us what's goin' on!" cried Oolong.

"Chi Chi's pregnant!" Krillin snapped at them.

Then Roshi's voice again. "Woooo! All right, Goku! That's my boy!"

Gohan frowned. He didn't know what that meant, but he was pretty sure it wasn't good. From the sound of things, Krillin had just whacked Roshi over the head.

"Dirty old man," he grumbled. "OK, Gohan, could you put your mom on the phone?"

"Um," the boy replied, "I think she's throwing up right now." He had just seen her race to the bathroom a moment earlier.

"Oh… well… I guess I'll just come over then. See ya soon."

"'K. Bye!"

Thirty minutes later, Chi Chi, Gohan, and Krillin were sitting in the Sons' living room. Gohan couldn't understand why the other two looked so serious. This was a happy occasion- wasn't it?

"If you want, I can take you to your doctor's appointments," Krillin offered.

"Thank you. It'll be hard for me to drive after a while."

"And I can do the cooking and cleaning," Gohan said. "And you don't have to worry about driving me to school!"

"Gohan, what have I told you about that?" Chi Chi asked sternly.

"I know, I know. But you said it'll be hard for you to drive! Can't we just try it, and if something happens you can start driving me again?"

Krillin was well-acquainted with the old argument. He and Goku both had urged her to let the boy fly, but there was no reasoning with her wehre her son's safety was concerned.

But this time was different. Chi Chi realized that if she was going to raise two half-Saiyans on her own, she was going to have to relax a little. All those strict rules would drive her crazy. So as much as she disliked it, it was time to loosen up.

"C'mon, Chi Chi. Let him fly to school," Krillin said.

"Yeah, Mom. Pleeeeeeeease?" Gohan was looking at her hopefully, his eyes large and pleading.

"Only if you promise to be very, _very_ careful," she sighed imagining all the things that could go wrong. Gohan was overjoyed.

"You mean it? Thanks, Mom! You're the best!" he cried, throwing his arms around her. She hugged him back, already worried that he'd be attacked by something or other.

Krillin stayed a while longer as they discussed a few other baby-related issues. Before he left, he turned to Gohan.

"Have fun flying to school, buddy!" he laughed.

"I will!" replied a grinning Gohan.

"Mom, is this really necessary?" Gohan asked, his voice muffled by the heavy coat and wool scarf he'd been forced to wear. "It's not _that_ cold, is it?"

"We're not taking any chances. I don't want you getting sick," Chi Chi replied, pulling a hat snugly over his ears. "All set! Oh, you look adorable!" she gushed, pushing him to a mirror. His arms were sticking out at 45-degree angles, and the only skin visible was around his eyes.

"I look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man."

"No you don't, sweetie! Maybe I should take a picture, I'm sure Bulma would love to see this…"

"NO! I mean, I have to leave now or I'll be late," Gohan objected, waddling toward the front door.

"Oh, well, we don't want you to be late," Chi Chi sighed. As she watched her little boy struggle to put his backpack on over his huge coat, her eyes filled with tears.

"OK, Mom. I'm leaving now."

Chi Chi threw her arms around him and started to weep. "My baby! _Please_ be careful, Gohan!"

"Mom… can't… breathe…" he rasped, trying to extricate himself from her crushing hug. "Squeezing… too hard…" She loosened her grip.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie. I just worry about you, that's all."

"I'll be _fine_. Love you, Mom. See you after school!" he called, excitedly beginning his flight.

"I love you too, honey! Come straight home after school! Don't talk to any strangers!" He waved as best he could in acknowledgement and sped away. "AND DON'T GET INTO ANY FIGHTS, GOHAN!" she screamed after him. Chi Chi watched until his tiny figure disappeared before returning to the house.

_Please,_ she prayed silently, _let him be all right._

"Glad that's done," Gohan said to no one in particular, dumping the last of his anti-illness gear behind a bush. Aware that it was completely unnecessary, he had landed in a small forest clearing to dispose of the extra clothing. As much as he loved his mother, he had to admit that she drastically over-reacted most of the time.

Stretching his arms over his head, he gladly breathed in the fresh air. Gohan grabbed his backpack and levitated above the trees. Looking off into the horizon, he found himself wondering what the baby would be like. For him, this was a new adventure, unlike any he'd had before.

"Big brother," he whispered, grinning, before taking off in the direction of school.

**A/N**: See, it has a little bit to do with Goten's birth! Sorta. But just one more chapter of silliness, and then back to business. I promise. Please review!


	4. Chapter 4: What it Means to be a Mother

**Disclaimer**: No, I do not own DBZ. But if I ever do, you'll be the first to know. Promise.

**A/N**: OK, this is my last silly chapter. After this, I'm going to actually start writing the dramatic stuff, thoughts and feelings and whatnot. But this popped into my head first and refused to just stay there, and my head made my fingers type it and put it here… ahem, anyway, this gives a little insight into the way Chi Chi's mind works and why she always freaks out over nothing.

Blindness. Lost limbs. Third-degree burns. Broken bones. Brain damage. Electrocution. Suffocation. Stabbing. Beating. Shooting. Beheading. Disembowelment. Dismemberment. Chi Chi's mind was filled with a number of gruesome things that could have befallen Gohan on his way to school. _I never should have let him go!_ she thought miserably. She had a sudden vision of her son lying in a ditch bleeding to death, wondering where she was. Her maternal instincts switched into high gear.

"HOLD ON, GOHAN! MOMMY'S COMING!" she cried, grabbing her keys. Just then, she heard a car pull up outside the house. The keys dropped to the floor as she clapped her hands over her mouth. _Oh, no. It's the police! They found his body and came to notify me. Oh, Kami, he's dead!_ Chi Chi rushed out the door, screeching hysterically. "NOT MY LITTLE GOHAN!"

Bulma looked up in surpise as her friend, screaming like a mad woman, smacked into the driver's- side door of her aircar and flipped over into the passenger's seat. Her knees were hanging over the door, and her head rested against Bulma's leg.

"Um, are you OK, Cheech?" Bulma asked.

"Ngeehhh…" Chi Chi groaned in response. That had _really_ hurt.

"You should really be more careful," Bulma warned. "I doubt that's good for the baby."

That hadn't even occurred to Chi Chi. What if she'd hurt the baby? Her hands went immediately to her abdomen. Who knows what kind of damage that could have done? Her mind raced with possibilities. Birth defects. Brain damage. Premature labor. Stillbirth. Miscarriage.

"No!" she screamed. "First Goku dies, then Gohan's murdered on his way to school, and now I've killed my unborn child! My love is the kiss of death!"

Bulma looked to the sky as though it could answer her question. _Kami, why do I always get her when she's hysterical?_

"All right, just calm down. I'm sure the baby's fine. Besides, I can't take you shopping if you're crying."

"Shopping? Why would we go shopping?"

"Maternity clothes. Duh," Bulma replied, starting the engine.

Chi Chi scrambled into a sitting position as the car took to the air. "Maternity clothes? I already have some from when I was pregnant with Gohan!"

Bulma burst out laughing. "You can't wear those!" They were now flying over the trees. "They've been out of style for years!"

Although it was probably true, Chi Chi couldn't see why it mattered. She was going to gain 110 pounds (if her first pregnancy was any indication- Saiyan babies were huge!), and look like she had a beach ball strapped to her stomach. Besides, who was going to care if her clothes were old? And she didn't want to go out and have fun if her children were dead.

"Thanks, but I really don't think I need to go shopping."

Bulma looked at her over the top of her sunglasses. "Oh yes you do."

Returning home that afternoon laden with shopping bags, Chi Chi had nearly forgotten her earlier panic about Gohan and the baby. But on opening the door and finding her son sitting at the kitchen table, munching contentedly on a bowl of popcorn, everything came rushing back to her.

"Gohan! You're alive!" she cried, dropping her purchases and engulfing the bewildered boy in a tight hug. "I was so worried about you!"

"Can't… breathe…" he wheezed for the second time that day. She just squeezed him harder. Bulma stepped in and tried to pry Chi Chi's arms off of Gohan, eventually succeeding in loosening her grip enough to let him escape. He stood a few feet away, gasping for air. "What was that for?"

"Yeah, Cheech. Why do you always freak out like that? Such a pessimist," Bulma added.

Chi Chi thought about it for a second. Why _did_ she always assume the worst? Most of the time, things turned out fine. And even though she knew deep down that everything was OK, she worried about anything that could possibly go wrong. But why? Sure, bad things happened, but bad things happened to other people and they didn't react like she did.

"Well," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully, "I think it's because… if I think about all the bad things that could happen, it… it sort of prevents them from happening. With the Cell Games, for example, I spent the whole time worrying about Gohan, and he was fine. I was so sure that Goku would come out all right. But if I'd worried about him, too…" she trailed off. Tears of guilt rose unbidden to her eyes. It made her sick to think about it, that she could have saved him and failed.

"Mom," Gohan began, looking unusually serious for a nine-year-old. "That wasn't your fault. Worrying has no effect on whether or not something happens."

"He's right, you know," Bulma added soflty, putting an arm around her friend. "Even if it feels like it'll help, worrying will just make you crazy. Lighten up and everything will be fine!"

Sniffling, Chi Chi smiled at her companions. "I'm sorry. It is pretty silly, isn't it? I'll try to stop, but… it's just become a habit."

"No prob, Cheech. We can be patient. And speaking of patient people, we got something for you, Gohan." Bulma pulled the hottest new videogame in town out of a shopping bag. "Your mom and I agreed you deserved something special. But I basically had to twist her arm to get her to agree to this."

"Kung Fu Zombies IV!" Gohan cried happily. "Thanks, Mom!" He hugged her. "Thanks, Bulma!" He hugged her too, but since she wasn't exactly used to the force involved in a jubilant half-Saiyan hug, she bumped into the counter. When she did so, a capsule fell from her purse and rolled across the counter, into the sink, and down into the garbage disposal. All three froze in shock.

"Oh, _please_ tell me that wasn't what I think it was!" Bulma groaned, digging through her purse. She sighed. "It was."

"What was it?" Chi Chi and Gohan asked simultaneously, wearing identical expressions of horror.

"My car." They gasped, their faces growing pale. "Don't worry about it, guys. I've got plenty more," she said as they both began apologizing profusely.

"Bulma, I'm so sorry! Please, take our car to get home. It's the least we can do," Chi Chi offered. Gohan nodded wordlessly, looking absolutely miserable.

"Nah, I'll just call Vegeta and have him come get me. He totally owes me, anyway," Bulma replied nonchalantly, grabbing the phone.

Gohan and Chi Chi would be the first to admit they didn't really get Vegeta, but they were both pretty sure asking him to pick you up was not on the list of safe things to do. Nevertheless, they watched silently as Bulma dialed Capsule Corps.' phone number. They could hear it ringing. And ringing. And ringing. Finally, on the 12th ring, someone picked up. Bulma held the phone about a foot from her ear.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT!" Vegeta bellowed. The Sons could hear him from across the room. Bulma put the phone back up to her ear.

"Hi, Vegeta! It's me! Listen, I'm at Chi Chi's and I'm having some car problems. Can you come get me?" They couldn't make out what his answer was, but Bulma smirked maliciously. "Fine then. I'll just give Yamcha a call. He doesn't have a car, but I'm sure he'd be more than happy to carry me- but I might not be home till morning in that case. Kiss Trunks goodnight for me." She held the phone at arm's length. Vegeta snarled something incomprehensible in a very loud voice and slammed down the phone. Bulma sighed and hung up.

"I lose more phones that way," she said. "Better wait outside or he'll break your door down."

"Sure," Chi Chi replied as she and Gohan followed her outside. "But why'd you tell him that? Yamcha has a car. And you _would_ ask him to take you home, right?"

"Tch. Of course. He has unresolved issues with Yamcha, so I use it to my advantage. When I called Yamcha yesterday to tell him about you, Vegeta pulled the phone out of the wall and smashed it on the floor. He's so possessive," she giggled. Apparently, she thought it was cute. Chi Chi, on the other hand, thought it was scary.

Luckily, he arrived just then, so she didn't have to pretend it was normal that he destroyed phones at the mention of Yamcha. He grunted at them, about the only form of greeting Vegeta ever bestowed on the Sons, then slung his wife over his shoulder and took to the air.

"Vegeta!" they heard her shrieking. "This is no way to treat a lady! Carry me nicely!" And to their surprise, he stopped and hovered in mid-air, and adjusted her so that one arm supported her back and the other was under her knees. She put her arms around his neck, then waved at her dumbfounded friends. "See you guys tomorrow!"

Vegeta whirled around to find them watching. A violent blush crept across his face before he sped away.

"That… was weird," Gohan said.

"Very," Chi Chi agreed, before ushering him inside.

**A/N**: OK, enough silliness. The next chapter is serious (mostly), and has a lot more to do with Goten. I just couldn't resist describing Chi Chi's thought process and having the Vegeta's-jealous-of-Yamcha thing! Veggie-chan always brings a smile to my face. I'm almost done with chapter 5. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5: Chi Chi's Thoughts

**Disclaimer**: I do own DBZ! In a way. I just bought "Brolly's Second Coming" today, so I own that! But somehow, it's not the same…

**A/N**: Like I promised, I'm getting to the important stuff. Only a few funny things in this one. And yes, there is a huge gap of time unaccounted for between the events of the last chapter and this one. I realized that it would take me forever at the rate I was going. So here's Chapter 5!

The best thing about living out in the woods is the stars. You can see millions of them, from the very bright to the very dim. Sprinkled across the night sky, the multitude of stars always made her think about Goku. He was born out there, somewhere in the distant reaches of space. Which star would have been his sun, if things had worked out differently? Where would he be now? Alive, maybe? Chi Chi sighed. There was no point in wondering now. She was too sore and tired to move, but the baby wasn't.

"Hey, calm down in there," she murmured, putting her hand on her round belly. At seven months pregnant, she had already gained more than 90 pounds! "Hmm, just like Gohan," she mused. Since the second month, she'd been absolutely certain the child was a boy. She didn't need a doctor to tell her; it was woman's intuition, plain and simple. But she still couldn't come up with a name for him. Her first thought was to call him Goku Jr., but she really didn't think she could call anyone else by that name.

So Chi Chi set to work trying to figure out what her husband would have wanted. _Let's see…Gohan was named after Goku's grandfather, so…he _did _have a brother, Radditz- no! I'm not naming my child after that man._ She shook her head forcefully. _Maybe his friends? Krillin…no. Yamcha…no. Tenshinan…no. Roshi…forget it! He's a dirty old man. Vegeta- _She burst out laughing. Just imagining the look on his face when he heard that "Kakarott's brat" was named after him was priceless!_ No, not Vegeta. Even Bulma wouldn't do that._ Chi Chi thought about the time Goku had spent with King Kai. _Well, I don't think I could call him King Kai. Definitely not Bubbles. But Gregory…Gregory's a nice name._

All of a sudden, the baby kicked her left side with surprising force. Caught off guard, Chi Chi tilted to left and her shoulder caught on the wall. If it hadn't, she surely would have fallen to the ground. She pushed herself upright and rubbed her stinging shoulder.

_All right, fine. Not Gregory either. But don't do that again!_

"Mom, shouldn't you come inside? It's a little cold out here," Gohan said, appearing in the doorway. "What are you doing, anyway?"

Chi Chi sighed wearily. "Just trying to come up with a name for the baby," she replied wearily, preparing to stand.

"Still?" he asked, rushing to help her up. "I have a good one."

"You do?" Chi Chi straightened up quickly in surprise. "That's wonderful! What is it?"

Gohan gave her the trademark Son grin. "_Piccolo_." he told her emphatically, confident that she would approve.

Chi Chi blinked at him in disbelief. That would have been funny if he hadn't been so sincere. "Oh, um… that's a lovely idea, sweetie. But maybe we shouldn't name him after anyone we know. It might get confusing."

Gohan's face fell. "Oh. Yeah, I guess you're right." He tried to smile. "But I'm sure we'll think of something soon!"

"Of course we will!" she answered with false cheer. That crestfallen look of his always made her feel guilty as hell. It was like scolding a puppy for licking your face. "You need your rest, honey. Go on to bed," she told him gently, kissing the top of his head. _I'll worry about a name later,_ she told herself.

"Stupid Bulma," Chi Chi grumbled. At her doctor's appointment that day, Bulma had found it necessary to comment on her weight.

"You gained 103 pounds in eight months? Wow! I'd only just hit 97 when Trunks was born!" she'd said. It had taken a lot of self-control not to clobber her right then and there.

"Not my fault her son inherited the dwarf gene from her freakishly short husband. My boys are a good, healthy size, like their father," Chi Chi continued. She was sitting at the kitchen table, the only light being the moonbeams streaming through the windows. It was 12:14am, and Gohan was sleeping soundly. She wasn't, because she couldn't get comfortable. Her back hurt, her knees hurt, her feet hurt- everything hurt! The only thing she could do for any length of time was eat- in almost Saiyan proportions.

But it wasn't her appetite that bothered her; it was her choice of food. She had no desire for anything but pickled turnips and chocolate frosting. Chi Chi knew it was disgusting, but she had the worst cravings for it! In fact, that's what she was eating as she sat there, mad at Bulma and still trying to name her son. She could not for the life of her come up with anything suitable. Gohan was still pushing for Piccolo, and Bulma thought Goku Jr. was a great idea. But she knew there was a perfect name for this baby, and she wanted to be sure she had it before he was born.

"Goku," she whimpered, "Help." Chi Chi closed her eyes and tried to remember how it felt when he put his arms around her. She concentrated all her thoughts on it, and before long she could have sworn he was there, holding her like he'd never left. So warm and safe… she could just sit there for hours. But the baby kicked hard, almost knocking her over and completely ruining the almost hypnotic trance she was in.

"Oh, what'd you have to do that for?" she snapped crossly. "First time I've actually felt _good_ in months." And that was completely true. Although she really was excited about the baby, the entire pregnancy was uncomfortable. With Gohan, she'd had a lot of help from Goku. He had rubbed her feet, cleaned up around the house, brought her flowers, and even attempted to cook! Chi Chi smiled as she remembered waking up to the smell of smoke and rushing into the kitchen to find Goku in an apron two sizes too small, covered with pancake batter and trying to get burning toast out of the toaster. Sure, it ended up making more work for her, but it was really quite thoughtful of him. And he _did_ try to clean up the mess.

She looked at the clock again. 12:56am. _Might as well try to get some sleep,_ she decided, putting all her energy into getting out of the chair. Shuffling into her bedroom, she turned on a small light and opened up the top drawer of her dresser. She pulled out a folded and worn sheet of paper and began to read. "Dear Chi Chi," it began. It was a love letter, the only one she'd ever gotten from her husband. He wrote it right after she gave birth to Gohan. She read it every night before going to bed, and it still brought tears to her eyes. She finished reading and refolded it, replacing it gently in the drawer. Then she reverentially pulled out one of Goku's old gis. It had been in the laundry when he died, and she couldn't bear to wash it after that. Holding it to her face, Chi Chi breathed in his familiar scent. Out of habit or whatever reason, she couldn't sleep unless she could fool herself into thinking he was there. It was her nightly routine: read the letter and hold his clothes. Bulma had said it was bad for her psychological health, but she couldn't care less. Climbing into bed, she curled into a ball around her womb and held the gi tightly. Without Goku, this was the only way she could hold things together.

"Don't worry, little one," she murmured sleepily. "I'll figure things out. We'll all be fine, you'll see."


	6. Chapter 6: Suffering Rewarded

**Disclaimer**: I DON'T OWN DBZ, OK! You don't need to rub it in! sob 

**A/N**: Woot woot! Last chapter, oh yeah! But this one's a little longer than the others. Thanks for all the encouragement, you guys! I really appreciate your reviews.

"This is completely impossible," Chi Chi muttered. She was trying to put away the dishes she'd just finished washing, but her huge stomach prevented her from reaching the upper shelf. There was no way for her to get closer to the counter, but she couldn't stand leaving clean plates sitting out. They belong in the cupboard! She weighed her options: wait till Gohan gets home from school; call Krillin; call Bulma. Gohan wouldn't be home for hours, and she knew Bulma and Krillin weren't going to come over for dishes.

Chi Chi sighed, "I need to be three inches taller or 40 pounds lighter." But at nine months pregnant, she was 5'2" and weighed 209 pounds. She absolutely could not wait till her pregnancy was over and she was able to move normally again. At least last time she'd had Goku around to help. She sighed again. "He was tall enough to put away the dishes." Finally giving up on the freshly washed plates, she shuffled over to the refrigerator. It was time for some food.

As she munched on her pickled turnips and chocolate frosting, she continued a quest for a name. The baby was due any day now, and she didn't know what to call him. _Maybe I should just name him Piccolo, _she thought gloomily. _It'd make Gohan happy. Come to think of it, Goku would probably like it, too._ But somehow, she knew she couldn't name her son after a huge, green alien. Besides, she'd never quite forgiven him for kidnapping Gohan.

She suddenly gasped as intense pain shot through her body. _Oh, please!_ Chi Chi thought, panic rising within her. _Not right now!_ She took deep breaths and tried to regain her composure. After the pain had passed, she said wryly, "Now sweetheart, you know I love you, but you really are terribly inconvenient." She looked at the clock to time her contractions as she put away the remains of her snack. Then she sat down at the table to patiently wait till it was time to go to the hospital.

_I can do this,_ she told herself sternly. _I am strong. I am a fighter. I kick the snot out of anything that gets in my way._ It had been her mantra since that conversation with Bulma. But still, she would have given anything to have Goku there.

She waited alone, bravely, as the contractions became more severe and more frequent. When they were about five minutes apart, she calmly picked up the phone to tell the hospital she was coming. _I am strong. I am a fighter. I kick the snot out of anything that gets in my way._ Chi Chi smiled serenely. _See? I can do this. And the baby will- no! I still haven't picked a name! What do I do? Never mind, I'll worry about it later._ She took a deep breath and picked up her keys. Reality chose that particular moment to not simply hit her, but body slam her like a sumo wrestler.

"OH CRAP!" she shouted, forgetting that she never used that sort of vulgar language, especially not around children. She had also forgotten, incidentally, that she no longer fit behind the steering wheel! _Strong, fighter, snot-kicking,_ she thought frantically, trying not to panic. She grabbed the phone.

"Bulma!" she wailed when her friend answered. "Heeeelp! Help help help!"

"Whoa, calm down. What's wrong?"

Chi Chi took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "I'm-going-into-labor-and-I-can't-drive-and-I-don't-want-my-baby-born-in-the-kitchen-and-Goku-is-lucky-he's-dead-right-now-'cause-if-he-wasn't-he'd-be-in-for-it-'cause-this-is-ALL-HIS-FAULT!" she finished, panting. Her panic had turned into anger without warning. She was angry about being alone, angry about being in pain, and angry about not knowing how she was going to get through this.

Bulma sighed. _At least she's mad instead of just hysterical this time._ She knew that when Chi Chi got mad, she could probably pick up a semi-truck if she wanted to. So this was actually a _good_ thing. Smiling a mischievious smile, she decided to "help."

"Well, it's not totally his fault, you know. It takes two to tango, and you did your share," she said in the most annoying sing-song voice she could manage.

Chi Chi was incensed. "BUT HE STARTED IT!" she screeched before another contraction hit her, taking her anger in another direction. "Damn… that Cell…" she hissed murderously. "If he wasn't… already… dead I'd… kill him… myself!"

"OK, Cheech, just hold on. I'll be there as soon as I can. Try not to panic."

"Don't patronize me!" she snapped, having caught her breath. "Just hurry up."

After nearly half-an-hour, Chi Chi heard a car pull up. _Finally!_ she thought, picking up her suitcase. Bulma rushed inside, Vegeta and Trunks in tow.

"So sorry I'm late! I had to drag the _babies_ along with me. Absolutely no cooperation at all." Bulma grabbed the suitcase and started pulling her friend toward the door. "I called Krillin, he'll pick up Gohan, and your dad is -"

"Oh, wait!" Chi Chi interrupted, urgently pointing to the kitchen counter. "Could you put away the dishes first? I don't want to leave them out."

Bulma blinked at her for a moment, then reminded herself this was Chi Chi, after all, so it wasn't that weird a request. She then turned to her husband, who was standing near the sink, looking extremely uncomfortable holding his infant son loosely with one hand. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Vegeta, put those dishes away," she told him. He scowled at her and didn't move. "I MEAN NOW!" she barked. Grumbling, he walked over and picked up the plates. "In that cupboard, second shelf." He was just barely tall enough, but he put them away with a little more force than necessary and continued glaring at her.

With that, Bulma pushed Chi Chi out the door and helped her into the back of the aircar. When they were airborne, Vegeta dropped Trunks onto Bulma's lap. She threw him a puzzled look.

"I've had enough of this tiresome brat. You hold him."

"Perhaps you didn't notice, but I'M DRIVING AT THE MOMENT!" she yelled, completely fed up. It had been difficult enough getting him to come with her, and now he was giving her an attitude? She didn't think so. "UNLESS YOU CAN GET A DRIVER'S LICENSE IN 3 SECONDS AND DRIVE US TO THE HOSPITAL, YOU ARE HOLDING YOUR SON!" She picked the baby up gently and handed him back.

"Bulma?" Chi Chi asked weakly from the back seat. "I still haven't named him. What should I do? I can't think of anything."

Vegeta was in a very, very bad mood, and decided to take to take it out on Chi Chi. Smirking, he said, "Him? What if it's a girl?" And just as he'd predicted, she completely freaked out.

"A GIRL! BUT I HAVEN'T EVEN CONSIDERED ANY GIRL'S NAMES! WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" She burst into hysterical sobs.

"I hate you right now. You know that, don't you?" Bulma asked him, grinding her teeth. Vegeta had a satisfied smirk on his face as they finished the drive to the hospital.

_Goku, why did you leave me here like this? I know you just wanted to protect us, but this isn't fair. I shouldn't have to do this alone. You're supposed to be here, not just for me, but for our sons. They need you. I need you._

"You're doing beautifully, Mrs. Son. Just one more push and you're done."

Silent tears spilled down her cheeks. Chi Chi hadn't made a sound since they'd entered the hospital. She'd moved beyond pain, beyond grief. Everything seemed so surreal: the room, the doctors, her friends. Bulma and the others were waiting outside; when they'd asked if she wanted someone to stay with her, she'd just shook her head. All she wanted was Goku, and no one else could help her. Her hands tightly gripped the railing of her bed as they had for the past few hours, but she could no longer feel it. She wondered if perhaps she was dreaming. She pushed again anyway, like the doctor had told her to.

When a loud, plaintive cry filled the air, Chi Chi snapped out of her trance. Had she really done it? The doctors placed the squalling newborn in her arms. She smiled at him. He looked exactly like Goku had as a child, right down to the hair. And suddenly, the perfect name popped into her head.

"Goten," she whispered softly. The boy stopped crying. Goten. It had nearly the same meaning as Goku, but the last character meant "air" instead of "sky." It was perfect, just like him.

After the child had been bathed, he was given back to his mother. She'd requested that his tail be removed, but it didn't seem to faze the boy one bit. He was sleeping peacefully in her arms when her friends came in to see them.

"Mom?" Gohan ventured quietly. "Can I hold him?" Chi Chi motioned him to the chair beside her bed. When he sat down, she handed the tiny bundle to him. "Wow. He- he looks just like Dad…" he whispered.

The Ox King was the next to hold Goten, then Bulma and Krillin, before the child was handed back to Chi Chi. She looked at him tenderly, seeing in him all the qualities she loved in her dead husband. In that moment, she decided to raise him differently than she had raised Gohan. She would raise him the way Goku would have wanted. He would be trained in martial arts as soon as possible and not shut up inside with textbooks. From now on, she would be a different mother, a better one.

"You know what?" Bulma said suddenly, interrupting Chi Chi's thoughts. "I'll bet Goten and Trunks will have a lot of fun playing together before long. You'll have to bring him over so they can be friends, and we can visit!"

Chi Chi smiled. "That sounds wonderful." She just hoped Trunks wouldn't turn out to be too much like his father- Goten didn't need that kind of negative influence. Speaking of Vegeta, she owed him for the little "What if it's a girl?" incident.

"Vegeta?" she called boldly, seeing him leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "Don't you want to see Goten?" She was sure that he was curious about "Kakarott's brat," as he termed her child, and would eventually take a look at him. Bulma grabbed his arm with her free hand and dragged him toward the bed. He pretended to be indifferent, but when he got a good look at the boy, his face twisted into an expression of horror. Chi Chi gleefully wished she had a camera to capture this moment for posterity.

"It- it looks just like Kakarott!" he cried hoarsely, unable to take his eyes off of the tiny copy of his arch-rival.

"I know!" Chi Chi chirped happily. "And just think, since he and Trunks will be spending so much time together, you'll get to see him all the time!"

**A/N**: Well, that's all folks! Hope you liked it. Please RR! Look, Oozaru Angel! I updated! bounce And everyone else, if you haven't read her "Z Senshi's Institution for DBZ Authors," you should. Funny stuff.


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